Brian Matusz Stats & Scouting Report

IP	528
ERA	4.926
WHIP	1.46
BB/9	3.477
SO/9	7.875

Full name Brian Robert Matusz
Born 02/11/1987 in Grand Junction, CO
Profile Ht.: 6'5" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School San Diego
Debut 08/04/2009
Drafted in the 1st round (4th overall) by the Baltimore Orioles in 2008 (signed for $3,200,000).

View Draft Report

Like David Price, the No. 1 pick last year, Matusz is tall and lanky at 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds, and scouts have history with him. He didn't sign with the Angels in 2005 as a fourth-round pick out of an Arizona high school, and he starred for Team USA last summer, after ranking second (behind Price) in the nation in strikeouts. However, Matusz is a much different pitcher than Price. While he has a fastball that sits at 90-93 mph, Matusz doesn't pitch off it, instead using his above-average offspeed stuff to set up his fastball. His curveball is already a plus pitch, and he shows the ability to locate it to either side of the plate. His slider grades out as at least average. Matusz also liberally uses his above-average changeup, one of the finest on the West Coast in years. Mechanically, he's tight and compact, though his arm action is a bit awkward and slightly stiff. He also lands on a straight front leg at times, which some regard as an injury concern and which makes it harder for him to drive his fastball down through the zone. Matusz profiles as a middle of the rotation starter at worst, and if he improves his fastball and mechanics, he can become a staff ace.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

The Orioles felt like they got a bargain when they took Matusz with the fourth overall pick in the 2008 draft and signed him to a major league contract worth $3,472,500. He did nothing but reinforce that opinion in his pro debut, going from the University of San Diego to pitching in Yankee Stadium in a year. After signing too late to pitch in 2008, Matusz opened at high Class A Frederick and dominated in 11 starts, then pitched even better at Double-A Bowie to earn an eight-start trial in Baltimore to wrap up the season. His 1.91 ERA between his two minor league stops ranked fourth overall in the minors. He ranked as the top pitching prospect in the Carolina League, and would have done the same in the Eastern League if he had enough innings to qualify for Baseball America's rankings. Matusz was the fourth-highest pick out of the 2005 draft not to sign, turning down the Angels in the fourth round out of an Arizona high school to spend three years at San Diego, where he set the school's career strikeout record (396) and led NCAA Division I in whiffs (146) during an All-America junior season in 2008. He went 12-2, 1.71 that spring. He was the highest-drafted player in Toreros history and the first pitcher drafted that year. Matusz has three (and potentially four) above-average pitches and advanced command of his entire repertoire, yet most people say that his best trait might be his makeup. Team officials describe him as a winner and admire the way he made adjustments in his first pro season. He's both intelligent and determined, with a great feel for pitching and a strong will that allows him to deal with adversity and never give in to hitters. When an Orioles official told him that his changeup wasn't as good as it needed to be early in the year at Frederick, he went out and threw more than 20 times in his next start, commanding it and using it in a variety of counts and situations. He sits in the low 90s with his fastball, touching 95 mph, and complements it with both a curveball and a slider. The slider rates as the more effective pitch at this point. His changeup is the best in the system and could be well above-average in the future as he masters his command of it. He has a clean delivery and repeats it well. While his command is advanced for his level of pro experience, sharpening it will be Matusz's final task. He has great control and usually is able to keep the ball low and work both sides of the plate at will, so he just needs more experience against big league hitters to develop the pinpoint command he'll require to get them out consistently. A No. 1 starter isn't always the guy who has the best pure stuff. And while Matusz's pure stuff is plenty good, it's what's between his ears that could make him the Orioles' ace within the next couple of years. Having gotten his feet wet in Baltimore last season, he'll be expected to win a spot in the major league rotation in spring training as the Orioles fill in homegrown studs behind newsly acquired veteran Kevin Millwood.
An unsigned Angels fourth-round pick out of an Arizona high school in 2005, Matusz went on to star at San Diego for three years. He went 12-2, 1.71 as a junior to earn firstteam All-America honors, establishing himself as the top pitcher available in the 2008 draft. The Orioles got him with the fourth overall pick and signed him at the deadline for a major league contract worth $3,472,500, a relative bargain. Few pitchers come into professional baseball with better secondary stuff than Matusz's. His best pitch is probably his curveball, a plus pitch that he commands to both sides of the plate. His changeup is also an above-average pitch, and he leans on both pitches almost to the detriment of his fastball, which sits in the low 90s and touches 94 mph. Matusz also has an average slider, and he spots all his pitches well. Matusz will have to rely on his fastball more as a pro pitcher. His mechanics also could use some cleaning up, as he lands on a straight front leg sometimes. For the second straight year, the Orioles appear to have hit paydirt with their first-round pick. Matusz should move quickly and profiles as a middle-of-the-rotation starter who could be a No. 2 if he can dominate with his fastball as a pro. He performed well in the Arizona Fall League, so he could open his career at Double-A Bowie, though high Class A Frederick would be a safer bet.

Minor League Top Prospects

Matusz arrived in Frederick with a reputation as a polished pitcher, and he showed why by blowing through the minors and reaching Baltimore in his first pro season. The fourth overall pick in the 2008 draft, he overwhelmed CL hitters with his advanced command and diverse repertoire of above-average pitches. "He was the best arm I saw this year," a National League scout said. "He's not overpowering, but he had pinpoint command, kept everything low and showed the ability to work the edges of the plate." Matusz sits at 89-92 mph and touches 94-95 with his fastball. He repeats his clean delivery and spots his heater down in the zone and to both sides of the plate. He commands it well, but his secondary stuff is so advanced that he throws his offspeed pitches nearly as often as his fastball. His best offspeed pitch is his 81-84 mph changeup, which rates at least a 60 on the 20-80 scouting scale and could be better in the future. His 76-81 mph curveball and low-80s slider give him two good breaking balls that grade out anywhere from average to plus, and both can be out pitches. Matusz still needs to fine-tune his ability to hold runners as he can be a little slow to the plate. Basestealers stole 21 bases in 25 attempts (84 percent) against him, a high clip, especially for a lefty.